Maui Jim Mala Sunglasses - REVIEW

[GolfSpy Dave]

Maui Jim Mala Sunglasses - REVIEW

An Official MyGolfSpy.com Review

 

 

 

Hello Maui Jim Mala Sunglasses

Two of my favorite products from last year's batch of reviews were the Maui Jim Ironwoods and High Tide sunglasses (Review HERE). Both pairs are still frequent members of my sunglasses rotation, both on and off the course. After a year of use, I will go on record in saying that the Maui Jim optics and construction are second to none. The High Tides even survived an unexpected car seat squishing, bending right back to face fitting shape. The polarized Maui Jim lens is definitely the standard that I use when shopping for sunglasses, although this may not be fair to the sunglasses. OK I'll stop gushing.

 

Needless to say, I was tittering with anticipation while I waited for the Malas to arrive. Would this be another member of the rotation? Could Maui Jim do it again?

 

Style

So my expectations were high when I opened the box, and after doing so I was a little stunned. The Malas were not what I expected. Where are the hinges? How could these thin, bendy frames possibly survive my sometimes “robust” treatment of my sunglasses? The testing definitely got underway with a solid dose of skepticism.

 

 

After a little wear time, I have come to the conclusion these are a stylin' set of shades. Atypical, but the Maui Jim style is definitely there. The brown color of the frame and ear socks complement the brown lenses. The overall lens shape, what I would call roundtangularâ„¢, fits my larger face, but also looks pretty good on the much more petite Mrs. Golfspy Dave. I like the look of the thin, titanium arms. Based upon how they bend when not worn, I expected them to stick out a bit from the head during use. Not so. The arms conform nicely to the contours of the head. The arms also curl back when you take them off, allowing for easy storage in the Maui Jim bag. For some reason I thought they would get straighter over time, but the metal has some memory.

 

On the Course

Just like the samples from last year, I took the Malas out on the course to see if they could hold up through rounds of play.

 

 

Lenses

The Mala comes with the HCL Bronze lens, constructed from the MauiPure lens material. It is tough to find out what the MauiPure lens is actually made of (trade secret and all that), but the lens is amazingly clear, whatever the material. Through my weeks of wear, I have yet to see any scratches or hint of optical imperfection. The lenses also feature Maui Jim's PolarizedPlus2 polarization for light reduction and UV protection. More than one person who tried these on said it was like looking at the world in HD. Seriously amazing clarity!

 

I also think that the HCL Bronze lens is a nice choice for the course. It's dark enough to get rid of the sun's glare, but not so dark that you start to lose course detail. Here is a couple of photos that should give you an idea about the performance of the lens.

 

 

Golf Performance

These may be the lightest sunglasses I have ever worn. Thin, titanium frames and non-glass lenses are definitely the source of the lightness. They are so light it is easy to forget that they are even on. The field of view coverage is excellent. The only time that I found myself looking over or under the lens was when I did it on purpose.

 

The Malas do a great job of staying put on the face during the swing, maybe even a bit better than some of my hinge-framed shades. The rubber at the ears and the nose anchor the glasses to your head, assisted by the curving titanium arms. They are a little tougher than traditional frames to take on and off. If you take off your glasses to read greens and putt, you may need an extra second or two to put these back on. You can't just flip these open and slide them on your face. It's more of a two-handed operation.

 

 

I would definitely rate the

Maui Jim Mala as 100% golf friendly.

 

Value

Like any high-end product, the Maui Jim Mala sunglasses carry a premium price at $319.00. While this is a significant cost for most of us, I don't feel that it is unjustified. The lenses are flat out amazing, the fit is excellent, and the titanium used in their construction has to boost costs a bit. My only concern with the Mala is their ability to survive an accidental crushing. I store most of my sunglasses in the soft bag cases. Not so with the Mala. Maybe I am just a bit paranoid as they are so thin, but these spend their off-face time in the bag, and the hard case. I would not recommend just dropping these into one of the pockets in your golf bag.

 

Summary

To quote my prior review, Maui Jim sunglasses truly represent quality and style. While I was a little apprehensive about the Mala construction, my initial concerns have definitely lessened and will likely prove unfounded. If you are hard on sunglasses, just go and grab another cheap pair from the drug store. But if you take care of your nice things and you want a pair of sunglasses that look and perform at the top of the class, do yourself a favor and snag a pair of Maui Jims.

 

Click here for more info on the Maui Jim Mala Sunglasses

[Moecat]

Always good to see stuff from Maui Jim. Thanks for the review!

[Flv02]

Great review. I got to admit, the mannequin head freaked me out when I wasnt expecting it, but thats probably just me. The sunglasses look great. I have yet to find a pair of sunglasses that work well with golf while looking stylish. Thats probably because I havent spent the money to buy a good pair. At $319, theyre not exactly in my price range, but it will be something I look for maybe during the holiday season if they go on sale.

[Xamilo]

For over $300 changing the optics of an Oakley's plutonite lenses (where you know the lenses material, the covering factor, the optic accuracy, and the fact there are enough class-A studies to support the specific lenses usage) for a "Maui Lenses" material would be very unfortunate...